Cyclones drub CabotCABOT — In their second-straight conference home game, this one played on their opponent’s field, the Russellville Cyclones won in convincing fashion as they pounded the Panthers 11-1 in six innings. Russellville (6-2, 2-0 7A/6A Central) got a dominant performance on the mound from senior Mike Cowles. Cowles, who lived in the northeast during his sophomore and junior season, earned the win in 51⁄3 innings. He faced 22 batters and allowed two h...

Sports Briefs (Wednesday, March 14)Cyclones baseball blanks Conway The Russellville Cyclones brought their big-boy bats to M.J. Hickey Park on Tuesday as they beat rival Conway 4-0 in their 7A/6A Central Conference opener. Russellville (5-2, 1-0 7A/6A Central) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Frank Chiolino hit a solo home run. In the fifth inning, Hayden Hipps led off with a solo shot of his own. Cody Jones reached on a single and Chiolino, who was hit...

Russellville wins Clarksville softball tournamentCLARKSVILLE — The Russellville Lady Cyclones won the Clarksville Softball Tournament on Saturday as they won four of five contests by a combined score of 22-6. The Lady Cyclones (8-2) got a huge day’s worth of work from their freshman pitcher. Andrea Kindrick pitched all five games with junior pitcher Sydney Rupe still out with a strained biceps tendon, and dominated the competition. Through five games, Kindrick faced a total of 86 batters and...

Arkansas High School state title game roundupBerrete, Portis lead LR Hall to Class 7A title HOT SPRINGS. (AP) — David Berrete scored 12 points and Bobby Portis added 11 as Little Rock Hall pulled away in the second half for a 42-31 win over Fayetteville in the boys Class 7A Arkansas state championship game. The title is the third in a row and fourth in five years for the Warriors (27-3). Hall trailed 19-15 at halftime but outscored the Bulldogs (23-7) 14-4 in the third quarter. The 6-foo...

Winning ways: Clarksville Panthers repeat as state champsHOT SPRINGS — From the opening tip of the 2011-12 basketball season, the Pulaski Academy Bruins were ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in state basketball polls, while the defending state champion Clarksville Panthers were ranked No. 2. Clarksville proved beyond a shadow of a doubt it is No. 1 in Class 4A. The Panthers (30-5) netted 30 points in the second period to claim their second straight state championship, 93-73, over the Bruins (27-2) in the la...

Turnovers hamper Russellville in 50-31 lossHOT SPRINGS — It was a whole lot closer than the final score indicated. The Russellville Lady Cyclones played well with the Parkview Lady Patriots, but Parkview proved to be too much in the fourth quarter as it pulled away for a 50-31 win in the Class 6A girls state championship game at Summit Arena. The Lady Cyclones (22-9) led at halftime and trailed by just four points entering the fourth quarter, but the Lady Patriots’ press was a force as...

Cyclones baseball falls to Har-BerRussellville’s usually tough pitching took a hit — 11 actually — as the Cyclones fell 12-9 Wednesday against Springdale Har-Ber at M.J. Hickey Park. Russellville (4-2) manufactured nine runs, but couldn’t get settled on the mound or in the field in the loss. Russellville scored a run in the first inning, two in the third, two in the fourth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh. Har-Ber plated a run in the first inning, then took advantage o...

Defending championship dreamsHOT SPRINGS — Three years is all it took. That is, three years with a talented and devoted group of girls with a singular goal: winning a championship. Steve Wiedower took over a Lady Cyclones basketball program that was reeling after consecutive losing seasons and changed the identity and culture of the squad. “I think this is what your shooting for,” the coach said of his team’s date with Little Rock Parkview in today’s Class 6A championship...

Roberds, Moody win Dover Youth Fishing Club open tournamentThe Dover Youth Fishing Club (DYFC) hosted a youth open tournament Saturday on Lake Dardanelle. Austin Moody and Jeffery Roberds, along with boat captain Michael Williams, won the event over 15 other teams thanks to a 5-fish limit that weighed in at 22.36 pounds. The team had the catch in the boat by 7:30 a.m. on an Alabama Rig. Boat captain Ray Dotson and angler Johnathon Dotson and Tyler Linker finished second with a limit weighing 19.16 pou...

Sports briefs (Wednesday, March 7, 2012)Tennis ‘PlayDay’ Saturday A U.S. Tennis Association “PlayDay” event will be from 10-11:30 a.m. for grades K-4 and 1-3 p.m. for grades 5-8 on Saturday at the Russellville High School (RHS) tennis courts at 2203 S. Knoxville Ave. In the event of rain, everyone will meet in the RHS auxiliary gym. Call coach Lisa Gray at 223-1703. RHS Cyclone Spring Break Tennis Camp Russellville High School will host a Spring Break tennis camp from 9-11:30 a.m. M...

Russellville softball drubs DardanelleIt took a couple innings for them to warm up, but the Russellville Lady Cyclones turned it on in the fifth to down Dardanelle 10-0 Tuesday at M.J. Hickey Park. Freshman Andrea Kindrick (4-0) continued her early-season dominance as she struck out 11 Lady Sand Lizards and gave up just two hits and no walks in the complete game shutout. Whitley Madison (1-1) and the Lady Sand Lizards played strong early in the game for Dardanelle (1-1) and finish...

Sports briefs (Tuesday, March 6)Tickets on sale now Russellville High School is currently selling tickets to the Lady Cyclones Class 6A state championship game against Little Rock Parkview at 5:15 p.m. Friday at Summit Arena in Hot Springs. Tickets can be purchased at the high school, the Russellville School District central offices and the athletic offices. Prices are $8 for adults and $7 for students if pre-sold, and the school is accepting cash only (exact change, please)...

Lady Cyclones reach title gameEL DORADO — They say good things come to those who wait. The Lady Cyclones proved Saturday they’ve waited long enough. After 14 years of watching state championship games, Russellville will be a part of the season finale after a 52-44 win over 7A/6A-Central Conference rival Van Buren in the 6A state semifinals at Wildcat Gymnasium. “It’s something you work all year for, and when it happens it takes some time to settle in,” head coach Steve Wie...

Panthers wear down Marianna Trojans, earn second straight state title berthPINE BLUFF — Defense wins championships, and the Clarksville Panthers will get the opportunity to prove that for a second consecutive year after beating the Marianna Lee Trojans 69-48 in Saturday’s Class 4A boys state tournament semifinal game at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Clarksville (29-5) will face Pulaski Academy for the 4A boys state championship at the Summit Arena in Hot Springs this weekend. The day and time will be announced du...

Cyclones can't beat PatriotsEL DORADO — If it could go right, it did for the Parkview Patriots on Saturday as they overpowered the Russellville Cyclones 60-41 in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state playoffs at Wildcats Gym. The Patriots (23-5) took over in the second quarter and never looked back as they dominated the glass against Russellville’s under-sized lineup. Russellville (23-7), who was expected to finish near the bottom of the 7A/6A-Central Conference, surpr...

Russellville softball splits two opening gamesThe Russellville Lady Cyclones split their first two games of the season as they lost 3-2 to Ozark at home and beat Fort Smith Southside 9-0 on the road. Russellville (1-1) struggled in all three phases of the game Feb. 27 against the Lady Hillbillies. Junior pitcher Sydney Rupe started the game and freshman Andrea Kindrick split time on the mound and gave up just four hits, one walk and one hit batter, but four errors helped Ozark plate three...

Danville falls to EnglandCEDAR RIDGE — The Danville Lady Little Johns stayed right with No. 1 seed England in the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs, but the Lady Lions got a huge night from the Watkins sisters to hold on for a 79-64 win. Janeka and Jameka Watkins, England’s twin seniors who have both signed to play college basketball at Central Arkansas, scored 39 and 23 points, respectively. Danville kept it close through three quarters, but the Lady Lions ...

Cyclones slip past PointersEL DORADO — Chris Washington came off a screen at midcourt and took an inbounds pass from Jordan Barrett with 2.2 seconds left, drove and scored on a left-handed runner as the buzzer sounded to give the Cyclones a 54-52 win over the Van Buren Pointers in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state playoffs on Friday. Russellville (24-6) nearly sealed the win on its previous possession. Michael Sacrey and Grey Harris trapped Tyler Pearson at half c...

Lady Cyclones beat El DoradoEL DORADO — The Russellville Lady Cyclones showed their killer instinct Friday as they turned a five-point lead at the end of the third quarter into a 69-47 rout of the El Dorado Lady Wildcats in the quarterfinals of the Class 6A state playoffs. Russellville (21-8) led most of the way through the game, but was unable to pull away until the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Lady Cyclones led 49-43 after Charlotte Bradley’s third 3-poin...

Russellville basketball back in El DoradoEL DORADO — The Russellville Cyclones and Lady Cyclones are back in action today at the Class 6A state playoffs, and both teams feel like they have a good shot of moving on to the semifinals. The Lady Cyclones (20-8) have a big hurdle when they face the host Lady Wildcats at 1 p.m. today, while the Cyclones (23-6) will face 7A/6A Central Conference foe Van Buren at 5:30. Both games will be broadcast by radio station KCJC 102.3 FM and can be he...